Five Main Benefits of Powder Coating

Many find powder coating a better option than painting in terms of affordability and performance. To powdercoat something is to apply organic powder through electrostatic attraction to metal. It involves curing the finish with heat, which then produces a smooth, hard surface. Every bit of the process takes place in controlled and stable conditions. What makes it superior to painting? The following most common benefits of powder coating elaborate on this.

Better economy – With powder coating, the average transfer efficiency is 60 to 70 percent, which trumps the 30 to 35 percent of liquid paint. The over spray in powder coating is also solid and can be reclaimed and used again, which means that none or very little of the product goes to waste. Besides these, the base product for it is so much cheaper than that of wet paint.

Higher level of safety – For starters, the powder coating product does not contain harmful chemicals like the solvents and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in wet paint. Still, applying powder coating requires safety measures as well so that people don’t breathe in the powder or get it on their skin. Since the product is solid and inert, precaution is only necessary during application.

More environmental advantages – As mentioned above, there are no solvents or VOCs in powder coating, which makes it more environmentally friendly. The waste is non-hazardous and can go to the landfill. The same cannot be said about wet paint and its ozone-depleting, noxious chemicals, the waste of which needs special disposal appropriate to its hazardous nature.

Greater quality – Powder coating produces a thicker coat than that of standard paint. There is less risk for runs and other imperfections as well. It is also more flexible, allowing it to move with the material it is applied to. For this reason, it is the preferred option in the transportation industry where the product is typically subjected to a lot of movement as well as other elements that cause damage, such as rock chips.

Faster curing speed – With standard paint, you normally have to wait days even in ideal atmospheric conditions for it to cure completely. Powder coating, on the other hand, finishes curing within 20 minutes of exit from the oven, allowing the material to be ready for use even if it’s still too hot to touch.

The above reasons clearly detail why powder coating is the more advantageous option in almost all cases.